REPORTS 


OF  THE 


STANDING  COMMITTEES 


OF  THE 

Illinois  Federation  of  Women’s  Clubs 


^8 


Fifth  Annual  Meeting 


QUINCY 


OCTOBER  18,  19,  20,  1899 


ILLINOIS  FEDERATION  OF  WOMEN'S  Cl? 

OFFICERS. 

MRS.  ROBERT  B.  FARSON,  President . 

MRS.  CLARA  P.  BOURLAND,  Honorary  President,  .. 

MRS.  VIRGINIA  BARLOW  LE  ROY,  Recording  Secretary, 

*MRS.  ANNA  L.  PARKER,  Vice-President  at  Large,  .  . 

MISS  SARAH  MARIA  FAIRBANK,  Treasurer,  . .  Jacksonville,  Illinois 
MRS.  JOHN  A  LUTZ,  Corresponding  Secretary,  ..  Lincoln,  Illinois 

MRS.  EUGENIE  M.  BACON,  Chairman  State  Correspondence 

for  General  Federation,  Decatur,  Illinois 


VICE-PRESIDENTS  FOR  CONGRESSIONAL  DISTRICTS. 


Mrs.  Almon  Brooks,  South  Side  Club,  ..  ..  4643  Lake  Ave. ,  Chicago 

Mrs.  Florence  Allin  Ingalls,  .  .  . .  .  .  River  Forest  Woman’s  Club 

Mrs.  Alzina  P.  Stevens,  Chicago  Social  Economics  Club, 

335  South  Halsted  St.,  Chicago 
Mrs.  Dessa  Worthington,  Hull  House  Woman’s  Club, 

660  N.  Western  Ave.,  Chicago 
Mrs.  George  Sherwood,  West  End  Woman’s  Club,  513  Adams  St.,  Chicago 
Miss  Rebecca  S.  Rice,  Alternate  Club,  .  .  481  Dearborn  Ave.,  Chicago 

Mrs.  William  A.  Starin,  The  Sesame  Club,  . .  .  .  .  .  Waukegan 


Mrs.  Albert  J.  Hopkins, 

Miss  Effie  Shaw. 

Mrs.  Clara  G.  Coulson,  .  . 
Mrs.  C.  J.  Richardson, 

Mrs.  George  G.  Mabin, 

Mrs.  Saidee  Gray  Cox, 

Mrs.  Frederica  W.  Bayne, 
Mrs.  Ida  C.  Burns, 

Mrs.  Thomas  Worthington, 
Mrs.  Alice  C.  Wells,  ,  . 
Mrs.  Chas.  Douglas  Hoiles, 
Mrs.  W.  F.  Purtill, 

Mrs.  George  W.  Evans, 

Mrs.  Sarah  A.  Hallam, 

Mrs.  Phebe  Alice  Taylor, 

*  Deceased. 


Aurora  Woman’s  Club 
.  .  Woman’s  Club,  Mt.  Carroll 
Hawthorne  Club,  Galesburg 
Princeton  Woman’s  Club 
Danville  Woman’s  Club 
Woman’s  Club,  Hudson 
Woman’s  Literary  Club,  Lacon 
The  Fortnightly,  Monmouth 
.  The  Wednesday  Class,  Jacksonville 
Decatur  Woman's  Club 
The  Shakespeare  Club,  Greenville 
Mattoon  Home  Culture  Club 
Mt.  Vernon  Shakespeare  Club 
Centralia  Woman’s  Club 
Cairo  Woman's  Club 


t 


o  .1 


STANDING  COMMITTEES. 


EDUCATION  COMMITTEE. 

Mrs.  Thaddeus  P.  Stanwood,  Chairman,  .  .  Woman’s  Club,  Evanston 
Mrs.  Clara  G.  Forbes,  .  .  . .  . .  Champaign  Social  Science  Club 

Mrs.  Henry  M.  Dunlap,  . .  .  .  Champaign  and  Urbana  Woman’s  Club 

Mrs.  George  Sherwood,  513  Adams  St.,  West  End  Woman’s  Club,  Chicago 
Mrs.  Isabella  Laning  Candee,  . .  . .  . .  Woman’s  Club,  Cairo 

Mrs.  I.  S.  Blackwelder,  . .  League  of  Religious  Fellowship,  Morgan  Park 
Mrs.  Sara  G.  Hamilton,  . .  . .  . .  Woman’s  Club,  Jacksonville 

SUB-COMMITTEE  ON  EDUCATION. 

Mrs.  Henry  M.  Dunlap,  Chairman,  Savoy,  Champaign  and  Urbana  Woman’s  Club 
Mrs.  W.  F.  Purtill,  . .  . .  . .  . .  Home  Culture  Club,  Mattoon 

Miss  Henriette  R.  Mack,  .  .  . .  . .  . .  Woman’s  Club,  Carthage 

Mrs.  Henry  T.  Goddard,  .  .  .  .  Reviewer’s  Matinee,  Mt.  Carmel 

Dr.  Alma  Braucher,  . .  .  .  . .  .  .  Woman’s  Club,  Lincoln 

PHILANTHROPY  COMMITTEE. 

Mrs.  John  C.  Barlow,  Chairman,  .  .  .  .  . .  Calliere  Club,  Streator 

Mrs.  C.  J.  Richardson,  . .  . .  .  .  . .  Woman’s  Club,  Princeton 

Mrs.  J.  M.  Flower,  .  .  . .  .  .  . .  . .  Chicago  Woman’s  Club 

Miss  Julia  C.  Lathrop,  .  .  . .  .  .  . .  Hull  House  Woman’s  Club 

Mrs.  Henry  T.  Rainey,  . .  . .  University  Extension  Club,  Carrollton 

Mrs.  J.  D.  Harvey,  .  .  Kane  County  Federation  of  Women’s  Clubs;  Geneva 

Mrs.  James  W.  Patton . Woman’s  Club,  Springfield 

Mrs.  Conrad  Witkowski,  2802  Prairie  Ave., 

Chicago  Section  National  Council  Jewish  Women 

SUB-COMMITTEE  ON  LEGISLATION. 

Mrs.  J.  M.  Flower,  Chairman,  ..  ..  ..  ..  ..  The  Virginia 

Miss  Julia  Lathrop, 

Mrs.  James  W.  Patton, 

Mrs.  Charles  Henrotin,  319  Superior  St.,  ..  Chicago  Woman's  Club 


STANDING  COMMITTEES— Continued, 


LITERATURE  COMMITTEE. 

Mrs.  Clara  G.  Coulson,  Chairman,  .  .  Hawthorne  Club,  Galesburg 

Miss  Frances  Le  Baron,  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  Woman’s  Club,  Elgin 

Mrs.  Virgina  Le  Roy,  . .  . .  .  .  .  .  Woman’s  Council,  Streator 

Mrs.  Charles  T.  Gildersleeve,  . .  .  .  Woman’s  Club,  Hudson 

Mrs.  George  W.  Evans,  .  .  .  .  .  .  Shakespeare  Club,  Mt.  Vernon 

Mrs.  T.  G.  Morris,  . .  .  .  .  .  Nineteenth  Century  Club,  Oak  Park 

SUB  COMMITTEE  ON  LIBRARIES. 

Miss  Frances  Le  Baron,  Chairman,  .  .  . .  .  .  Woman’s  Club,  Elgin 

Miss  Katharine  Sharpe,  . .  . .  Librarian  of  University  of  Illinois 

Mrs.  Frederick  L.  Fake,  250  E.  66th  St.,  ..  Chicago  South  Side  Club 
Miss  Helen  Bennett,  . .  .  .  .  .  .  .  Mattoon  Council  of  Women 

Mrs.  Margaret  D.  Trimble,  .  .  .  .  .  .  Woman’s  Club,  Princeton 

COMMITTEE  ON  ART. 

Mrs.  Dwight  Perkins,  Chairman,  3929  Indiana  Ave.,  Chicago  Woman’s  Club 
Mrs.  E.  F.  Abbott,  .  .  .  .  .  .  . .  . .  Woman’s  Club.  Austin 

Mrs.  F.  M.  Annis,  . .  . .  . .  . .  . .  Woman’s  Club,  Aurora 

Mrs.  C.  M.  Higginson,  . .  .  .  Riverside  Woman’s  Reading  Club 

Miss  Mary  Bull,  ..  ..  ..  ..  ..  Friends  in  Council,  Quincy 

Mrs.  O.  B.  Dodge,  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  Phidian  Art  Club,  Dixon 

Mrs.  Sarah  A.  Hallam,  .  .  .  .  . .  .  .  Woman’s  Club,  Centralia 

COMMITTEE  ON  MUSIC. 

Mrs.  Charles  Carroll  Brown,  Chairman,  Woman’s  Club,  Bloomington 

Mrs.  William  A.  Starin,  ..  ..  ..  ..  The  Sesame  Club,  Waukegan 

Mrs.  Geo.  B.  Carpenter,  . .  Chicago  Woman’s  Club,  Fine  Arts  Building 
Mrs.  Charles  Hickox,  ..  ..  ..  ..  Woman’s  Club,  Springfield 

Mrs.  Saidee  Gray  Cox,  . .  . .  . .  .  .  Woman’s  Club,  Hudson 

Miss  Effie  Shaw,  . .  .  .  . .  . .  . .  Woman’s  Club,  Mt.  Carroll 

Miss  Ida  Stewart,  ..  ..  ..  ..  ..  The  Atlantis,  Quincy 

INDUSTRIAL  COMMITTEE. 

Mrs.  Alzina  P.  Stevens,  Chairman,  . .  Chicago  Social  Economics  Club 
Mrs.  Dessa  Worthington,  .  .  .  .  . .  Hull  House  Woman’s  Club 

Mrs.  Lynden  Evans,  135  Pine  St.,  Chicago,  Association  of  Young  Women’s  Clubs 
Mrs.  B.  P.  Marsh,  ..  ..  ..  ..  Bloomington  Woman’s  Clubs 

Mrs.  John  Hall  Sherritt,  . .  Rockford  Federation  of  Women’s  Clubs 
Mrs.  John  Mason,  .  .  .  .  .  .  . .  .  .  Aurora  Woman’s  Club 

Mrs.  Consuelo  Konitz,  . .  . .  .  .  . .  .  .  Peoria  Woman’s  Club 


REPORT  OF  THE 


Educational  Committee. 


The  report  of  the  Educational  Committee  of  1898  was  so 
full  and  complete;  and  as  a  year  has  not  yet  elapsed  since  it  was 
written,  the  report  of  the  Committee  for  1899  must,  of  necessity, 
be  shorter,  and,  in  many  cases,  can  only  state  that  the  work 
noticed  in  the  report  of  last  year’s  Committee  is  still  being 
carried  on. 

A  careful  study  of  club  programs  and  of  the  reports  sent  in 
by  club  secretaries  and  chairmen  of  educational  departments  of 
clubs,  shows  that  the  work  done  in  the  last  year  may  be  roughly 
divided  into  two  classes: 

First,  Study  work,  either  of  educational  methods,  of  liter¬ 
ature  bearing  on  educational  requirements  and  progress,  of  the 
nature  and  life  of  the  child,  of  local  history  or  of  government, 
and 

Second,  of  practical  work,  like  founding  or  maintaining 
kindergartens,  manual  training  schools,  vacation  schools,  read¬ 
ing  rooms  and  libraries,  giving  and  loaning  pictures  and  books 
to  schools,  clothing  needy  children,  aiding  proposed  legislation 
and  securing  and  presenting  petitions  in  reference  to  educational 
reforms.  Each  club  finds  work  of  some  kind,  dictated  by  local 
conditions,  ready  to  its  hand,  and  it  is  often  hard,  in  reading 
the  reports,  to  determine  whether  the  work  belongs  to  the  edu¬ 
cational  or  philanthropic  departments,  so  close  is  the  relation 
between  them. 


—  6  — 


furnishing  No  report  of  this  department  would  be  complete 
A,D'  which  did  not  mention  with  pride  the  practical 

work  of  the  Ladies’  Educational  Society  of  Jacksonville.  Since 
its  foundation  in  1833,  this  society  has  assisted  fifteen  hundred 
young  women  in  their  efforts  to  secure  the  benefits  of  higher 
education.  This  society  also  illustrates  the  benefits  derived  and 
conferred  by  steady  application  to  one  kind  of  work,  the  necessity 
for  which  has  been  plainly  demonstrated.  It  seems  to  the 
chairman  of  this  department  that  a  similar  work  might  be 
done  by  other  clubs  in  towns  where  colleges  and  normal  schools 
are  situated. 


contributions  The  effort  to  keep  children  in  school  is  worthy 
to  needy  of  the  educational  department  of  any  club.  The 

children.  lack  of  proper  clothing  often  hinders  children 

from  attending  public  schools.  The  Chicago  Woman’s  Club 
and  the  clubs  of  Beardstown,  Springfield,  and  Batavia  have 
collected  and  distributed  clothing  to  the  needy  in  their  towns. 


kindergartens.  The  Lake  View  Woman’s  Club  and  the  Engle¬ 
wood  Woman’s  Club  have  maintained  kinder¬ 
gartens  in  their  districts.  The  Woman’s  Club  of  the  Chicago 
University  Settlement  has  prepared  and  presented  to  the  Board 
of  Education  four  petitions  for  the  establishment  of  kinder¬ 
gartens  in  their  neighborhood. 


ESTABLISHMENT  AND 
MAINTENANCE  OP 
MANUAL  TRAINING  SCHOOLS; 
SCHOOLS  FOR  NURSES 
AND  SCHOOLS  OP 
DOMESTIC  SCIENCE. 


The  North  End  Club  of  Edgewaterhas 
contributed  money  for  putting  manual 
training  in  its  public  school;  the  Lake 
View  Woman’s  Club  has  equipped 
two  rooms  for  manual  training  as  a 


memorial  to  Miss  Meri  Topelius,  a  teacher  of  sloyd  who  was  a 
member  of  that  club;  the  Elgin  Woman’s  Club  supports  a  train¬ 
ing  school  for  nurses  in  connection  with  a  hospital  which  it 
founded  and  maintains;  the  Chicago  Woman’s  Club  has  helped 
to  establish  a  school  of  domestic  science;  the  Chicago  section  of 
the  Council  of  Jewish  Women  has  organized  a  summer  sewing 
school  amongst  the  girls  in  one  of  the  poorest  sections  of  the 


—  7  — 


city;  the  Princeton  Woman’s  Club  engaged  Mrs.  Rorer  to  give 
free  lectures  to  the  city  on  domestic  science,  hoping  to  establish 
public  sentiment  in  its  favor  with  a  view  to  putting  it  into  the 
schools  eventually;  the  Englewood  Woman’s  Club  has  opened 
an  industrial  school  to  the  pupils  of  the  public  schools. 

reading  The  Hudson  Woman’s  Club  has  established  and  is 
rooms.  maintaining  at  its  own  expense  a  reading  room  in 
the  town.  The  Woman’s  Club  of  Hinsdale  has  opened  a  reading 
and  retiring  room  for  teachers  and  pupils  in  its  public  school 
building.  The  Hudson  Woman’s  Club  proposes  to  undertake 
this  work  extensively  next  year. 


DISTRIBUTION  OF  BOOKS 
AND  PERIODICALS  IN 
COUNTRY  DISTRICTS. 


The  Princeton  Woman’s  Club  has  dis¬ 
tributed  many  periodicals  and  books  in 
needy  districts;  the  Elgin  Woman’s  Club 
is  responsible  for  the  work  of  establishing  travelling  libraries  in 
Kane  County,  and  supplied  quantities  of  supplementary  reading 
matter  in  country  schools.  The  Woman’s  Club  of  Princeton 
has  contributed  a  collection  of  pictures  to  be  circulated  in  its 
schools.  The  Lake  View  Woman’s  Club  has  contributed  two 
hundred  volumes  to  the  Alcott  School.  The  Chicago  Woman’s 
Aid,  the  Woman’s  Clubs  of  Mendota,  Springfield  and  Henry  all 
report  the  placing  of  pictures  in  public  schools.  The  Chicago 
Woman’s  Aid  has  also  given  forty-five  volumes  to  the  Maxwell 
Street  Settlement.  The  Woman’s  Club  of  Pekin  has  not  only 
contributed  money  for  pictures  in  the  public  school  but  has  started 
a  movement  to  introduce  art  and  music  in  the  high  school.  The 
Woman’s  Club  of  Batavia  has  also  given  pictures  to  its  public 
school.  The  following  clubs  report  a  standing  committee  on 
visiting  schools:  Hinsdale,  Mattoon,  Chicago,  Morgan  Park, 
Englewood  and  Pekin.  The  following  clubs  have  studied  the 
subject  of  vacation  schools  and  vacation  play-grounds  and  have 
contributed  to  the  vacation  schools  in  Chicago:  Chicago  Woman’s 
Club,  Teacher’s  Club,  North  End  Club,  Morgan  Park,  Engle¬ 
wood,  Woman’s  Club  of  the  Settlement  of  Chicago  University, 
Anna  B.  Holmes  Club,  Lake  View  Woman’s  Club,  'Home  Club 
Fortnightly  and  the  Evanston  Club. 


8 


legislative  The  members  of  our  legislature  can  testify  to  the 
WORK‘  interest  taken  by  the  clubs  in  the  educational  bills 

introduced  into  the  assembly  last  winter.  They  were  over¬ 
whelmed  by  letters  concerning  a  kindergarten  bill,  a  compulsory 
school  bill,  parental,  truant  and  vacation  school  bills,  a  bill  pro¬ 
viding  for  dormitories  for  women  and  another  to  provide  a  course 
in  domestic  science  in  the  State  University.  The  Chicago- 
Woman’s  Club  has  co-operated  with  the  Civic  Federation  to 
secure  a  revision  of  the  school  laws  of  the  city  of  Chicago. 

Although  the  kindergarten  bill  did  not  get  to  its  second 
reading,  another  bill  was  passed  which  divides  the  levy  of  five 
per  cent,  which  a  school  district  may  make  into  two  equal  parts, 
instead  of,  as  formerly,  into  two  per  cent,  for  maintenance  of 
schools  and  three  per  cent,  for  building  purposes.  In  many 
districts  the  kindergarten  sentiment  is  strong  enough  to  carry 
the  election  necessary  before  establishing  a  kindergarten,  but 
the  old  division  of  the  levy  did  not  give  funds  enough.  With 
this  addition  of  one-half  of  one  per  cent,  for  the  maintenance  of 
schools,  almost  any  district  can  supply  the  money  necessary  for 
the  establishment  of  a  kindergarten. 

The  foregoing  gives  the  most  of  the  practical  work  of  the 
clubs,  but  we  will  all  agree  that  much  has  been  done  by  club 
members  individually  and  collectively,  which  cannot  be  reduced 
to  statistics.  The  former  chairman  of  this  department  worked 
faithfully  in  establishing  a  friendly  and  social  relation  between 
homes  and  schools,  and  many  clubs  report  continued  efforts  in 
this  line. 

Until  the  mothers  know  what  the  teachers  and  school  offi¬ 
cers  are  trying  to  do,  and  until  the  teachers  are  sure  that  mothers 
are  trying  to  co-operate  with  them  intelligently,  our  schools  can 
never  do  for  our  children  what  they  might. 

Illinois  stands  third  among  the  States  in  the  number  of 
pupils  enrolled  in  schools,  number  of  teachers,  and  in  money 
spent  in  education  in  the  State,  being  excelled  in  this  respect 
only  by  the  States  of  New  York  and  Massachusetts.  We  have 
939*  ^3  pupils,  26,235  teachers,  and  spend  $16,000,000  annu¬ 
ally  on  our  schools. 


—  9  — 


Money  and  effort  are  being  lavished  in  this  State. 

Educated,  interested  women  should  find  it  a>  matter  of  eco¬ 
nomic  value  to  watch  the  results  of  this  expenditure  and  see 
that  the  teachers  are  well  qualified;  that  the  standard  of  excel¬ 
lence  in  small  towns  and  country  districts  is  raised,  and  that  the 
best  men  and  women  are  elected  to  school  boards. 

Two  new  State  Normal  Schools  are  opened  this  fall  and 
another  is  to  be  located,  which  will  give  us  five  State  Normal 
Schools  of  high  character  from  which  to  draw  our  regular  teach¬ 
ing  force;  and  our  numerous  colleges  and  universities  should  give 
us  liberally  trained  young  men  and  women  for  the  higher  work. 

It  should  be  possible  for  the  child  who  is  doing  fifth,  sixth, 
seventh  or  any  other  grade  work  in  a  country  school  to  take  the 
same  studies  and  be  required  to  reach  the  same  standard  in 
these  studies  a^  a  child  in  the  corresponding  grades  in  Jackson¬ 
ville,  Bloomington,  Rockford  or  Chicago  public  schools. 

Nearly  all  school  districts  publish  annual  reports  and  man¬ 
uals  giving  their  course  of  study.  By  obtaining  these — which 
could  easily  be  done  on  application  to  the  board — and  compar¬ 
ing  them  with  the  work  in  any  given  town  or  district,  it  will  be 
easy  to  see  the  superiority  or  inferiority  of  each,  and,  in  the 
latter  case,  an  intelligent  plan  can  be  formulated  to  secure  an 
improved  condition. 


CHILD  STUDY 
DEPARTMENTS  OR 
ROUND  TABLES. 


Among  the  clubs  which  maintain  a  Child  Study 
Department  or  do  work  suggested  by  experts 
on  this  subject  are  the  Englewood  Woman’s 


Club,  the  Kenwood  Fortnightly,  the  Lake  View  Woman’s  Club, 


South  Side,  Bloomington,  Hinsdale  and  Evanston. 


home  and  Among  those  which  have  studied  to  secure  a  close 
school.  relation  between  the  home  and  school  are  the 
Woman’s  Clubs  of  Hinsdale,  Mattoon,  Lincoln,  Princeton, 
Evanston,  Englewood,  Henry,  Mendotaand  Bloomington.  The 
annual  report  of  the  educational  department  of  the  Bloomington 
Woman’s  Club — Mrs.  Cora  Stanton  Brown,  chairman — is  so 
delightful  and  suggestive  that  your  chairman  recommends  it  to 


IO  - 


any  club  desiring  a  model.  It  was  published  in  “School  and 
Home  Education”  in  May,  1899. 

Many  programs  were  sent  to  the  chairman  with  the  reports 
of  club  work  which  might  be  repeated  with  profit  in  other  clubs. 

The  report  of  the  Bureau  of  Reciprocity  gives  the  titles  of 
several  manuscripts  which  can  be  had  for  the  asking  and  in¬ 
cludes  a  model  program.  “The  Transactions  of  the  Illinois 
Child  Study  Society”  are  full  of  suggestions  and  papers  which 
may  be  read  in  educational  meetings.  A  most  valuable  volume 
for  club  or  educational  department  is  the  educational  number 
(August,  1899)  of  the  “Outlook.” 

The  report  of  the  Educational  Committee  of  the  General 
Federation  give's  large  space  to  the  work  of  the  Illinois  clubs,  a 
compliment  which  this  committee  feels  is  well  deserved.  It  is 
to  be  hoped  that  another  year’s  report  will  show  more  effort  in 
educational  work  among  the  smaller  clubs.  Many  of  these  have 
done  well,  but  the  bulk  of  the  work  reported  is  from  the  large 
department  clubs.  In  closing,  I  should  like  to  quote  a  para¬ 
graph  from  G.  Stanley  Hall:  “One  thing  is  certain;  educational 
interest  is  everywhere  increasing  in  an  almost  appalling  way. 
The  last  five  years  have  perhaps  seen  more  of  this  process  of 
pedagogic  renaissance  than  the  preceding  twenty-five;  and  if  all 
signs  do  not  fail,  the  next  few  years  will  be  rich  years  to  live  in 
for  those  interested  in  education.” 

For  the  Committee  on  Education,  respectfully  submitted. 

Louise  Brockway  Stanwood,  Chairman. 


REPORT  OF  THE 


SUB-COMMITTEE  TO  FURTHER  THE  INTER¬ 
ESTS  OF  THE  WOMEN  STUDENTS  AT 
THE  UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS. 


The  report,  which  this  committee  submits  to  the  federation, 
contains  features,  which  convey  hope  and  encouragement  to 
those  earnestly  desiring  the  success  of  the  work  for  which  this 
committee  stands;  yet  is  not  lacking  in  disappointment  because 
of  the  failure  to  attain  the  desired  end  within  the  year. 

The  courtesy  and  kindness  extended  to  the  committee  and 
the  encouragement  given  them  by  a  majority  of  the  legislature; 
the  active  co-operation  of  many  of  the  clubs  of  the  state  in  the 
work  and  the  influence  which  they  wielded,  demonstrate  that 
the  future  holds  better  things  for  the  women  students  of  our 
University.  In  all  this  there  is  cause  for  congratulation. 

The  poignancy  of  our  failure  becomes  great  when  we  think 
of  the  nearness  of  the  goal  and  our  final  defeat.  The  legislature 
granted  what  the  women  of  the  state  asked,  but  the  Governor 
thought  best  to  attach  his  veto,  to  not  a  part  only,  but  to  all  the 
appropriation  desired  by  his  non-voting  constituents. 

It  is  sad  that  the  Governor  of  this  great  and  wealthy  State 
of  Illinois  could  not  appreciate  what  that  ten  thousand  dollars 
for  Domestic  Science  meant  to  the  homes  of  the  state  and  to  the 
purer,  better  manhood  and  womanhood  of  her  people;  for  only 
as  the  homes  are  brought  to  a  higher  state  of  perfection,  may 
we  expect  those  physical,  moral  and  spiritual  attributes  in  the 


12  - 


coming  generations  of  men  and  women  which  actuate  to  higher 
thought  and  nobler  purposes  the  lives  of  her  citizens. 

The  committee  was  greatly  surprised  at  the  veto,  for  the 
Governor  in  his  message  to  the  general  assembly  recommended 
the  women’s  building. 

Believing  he  meant  what  he  said  in  his  message,  the  com¬ 
mittee  did  not  think  it  necessary  to  convert  him.  Events  later, 
showed  them  their  mistake  or  their  inability  to  read  between  the 
lines  of  the  message. 

The  committee  was  granted  a  hearing  before  the  senate 
and  house  appropriation  committees,  and  due  consideration  was 
given  to  their  plea  by  both  committees.  It  being  impossible 
for  several  members  of  the  committee  to  be  present  at  the  time 
of  the  hearing,  Mrs.  S.  T.  Busey,  of  Urbana,  was  asked  and 
kindly  consented,  to  appear  with  the  committee. 

Mrs.  Carriel  and  Mrs.  Flower,  trustees  of  the  University, 
were  also  present,  and  out  of  their  wide  experience  of  the  needs 
of  the  women  students,  they  gave  much  information. 

The  chairman  of  the  committee  sent  a  personal  letter  to 
each  club  in  the  federation,  requesting  that  they  see,  or  write 
letters  to,  their  senator  and  representatives,  asking  them  to 
favor  the  appropriation  under  consideration  for  the  benefit  of 
the  women  students  at  the  University. 

Many  were  the  responses  to  the  letter,  and  the  promptness 
of  the  replies  and  the  interest  manifested,  aided  greatly  in  secur¬ 
ing  the  recognition  granted  to  the  committee  and  in  obtaining 
the  appropriation  of  forty  thousand  dollars  for  a  woman’s 
building  and  ten  thousand  dollars  for  the  establishment  of  a 
school  of  domestic  science,  which  only  failed  of  becoming  a  law 
because  of  Governor  Tanner’s  veto,  as  stated. 

It  is  hoped  by  this  committee  that  the  federation  will  con¬ 
tinue  its  efforts  towards  bringing  equal  opportunities  at  our 
University  for  the  girls  to  work  along  as  practical  lines  of  educa¬ 
tion,  as  are  provided  for  the  boys. 

Can  we  say  it  is  right  and  necessary  to  train  the  hands  of 
our  boys  and  not  our  girls  ?  Can  we  today  in  honesty  of  heart, 
feel  that  the  girl  who  is  to  become  wife,  mother  and  horn? 


13  — 


maker  does  not  need  to  acquire  practical  knowledge  of  chemis¬ 
try,  biology,  the  elements,  and  combination  of  foods,  which  she 
can  apply  to  her  profession  ?  As  one  writer  says,  “Motherhood 
the  oldest  profession  known  and  yet  the  least  perfected.” 

The  great  mortality  among  the  infants  and  children  is  due 
to  ignorance,  it  is  not  a  dispensation  of  Providence.  The  irrita¬ 
bility  of  many  unhappy  and  unruly  children  may  be  traced  to 
ignorance  in  feeding  and  caring  for  them.  Malnutrition  is  given 
as  one  of  the  most  frequent  causes  of  insanity,  and  who  can  say 
how  much  of  the  intemperance  of  our  people  has  its  beginning 
in  the  insatiable  craving  due  to  ill  nourishment  ? 

Our  reformatories  and  penitentiaries  in  a  large  degree  are 
monuments  to  the  ignorance  and  incompetency  of  those  taking 
upon  themselves  the  duties  of  wife  and  mother. 

Let  us  then  broaden  our  view  of  the  meaning  and  import¬ 
ance  of  domestic  science  and  of  the  art  of  home  making,  and 
their  value  in  the  education  of  our  girls.  Let  us  deem  them 
worthy  of  a  position  in  the  curriculum  of  all  universities  and 
colleges  and  work  to  educate  men  and  women  to  that  thought. 

Mrs.  H.  M.  Dunlap,  Chairman. 


REPORT  OF  THE 


Philanthropy  Committee. 


In  submitting  the  following  report  the  Philanthropy  Com¬ 
mittee  feel  that  while  much  and  commendable  work  has  been 
accomplished  and  many  heavy  burdens  lightened,  one  essential 
thing  is  yet  to  be  realized,  viz.,  the  general  awakening  of  the 
public  to  the  need  of  united  forces  in  humanitarian  effort. 

The  most  dominant  factor  in  the  economic  field  of  the  day 
is  the  concentration  and  organization  of  human  endeavor,  as  is 
evidenced  by  the  trend  of  industrial,  political  and  social  activities. 

Conceding  that  united  organized  effort  best  achieves  the 
ends  sought,  it  then  should  be  the  office  of  the  clubs  to  so  wisely 
influence  public  sentiment  that  it  shall  demand  that  all  chari¬ 
table  work  shall  be  centralized  and  placed  upon  a  definite,  per¬ 
manent  basis,  governed  by  strict  business  principles. 

The  clubs,  also,  can  do  much  toward  developing  that  inter¬ 
est  in  social  service,  and  appreciation  of  modern  methods  with¬ 
out  which  all  institutions  are  apt  to  become  behind  the  times 
and  therefore  less  effective. 

In  those  cities  wherein  no  charity  organization  exists,  these 
movements  can  be  much  advanced  by  the  clubs  therein  uniting 
in  their  charity  work  and  operating  in  conjunction  with  their 
supervisor,  demanding  the  investigation  of  all  cases  applying  for 
help,  refusing  aid  to  children  and  beggars,  and  requiring  an 
equivalent  in  labor  from  all  able  bodied  applicants  for  alms. 

Where  charity  organizations  exist,  co-operate  with  them. 

—  i4  — 


—  i5  — 


This  policy  faithfully  carried  out  would  greatly  check  and 
reduce  the  rampant  growth  of  pauperism,  an  evil  that  is  daily  and 
hourly  becoming  a  more  serious  burden  and  menace  to  society. 

The  committee  suggests  the  formation  of  clubs  among  the 
working  women  in  the  smaller  towns  as  well  as  in  the  cities; 
where  such  societies  have  been  organized  the  results  have  amply 
justified  the  effort,  not  only  in  broadening  and  brightening  the 
lives  of  the  members  thereof,  but  in  the  beneficial  influence 
thus  exerted  upon  their  families  and  neighbors  in  domestic 
economy,  hygiene  and  cleanliness. 

And  don’t  forget  the  wage-earning  boys  and  girls,  the  young 
burden  bearers,  whose  toilsome  lives  need  the  sunshine  and 
gladness  that  profitable  companionship  evokes. 

All  clubs  doing  outside  work  should  co-operate  with  teach¬ 
ers  and  truant  officers  in  order  to  know  that  the  children  are 
kept  in  school,  and  if  not,  why  not  ? 

Such  clubs  as  are  financially  able  can  put  their  funds  to  no 
better  purpose  than  to  support  a  Friendly  Visitor  or  Visiting 
Nurse. 

Committees  should  be  appointed  to  visit  the  various  public 
institutions  and  to  note  the  conditions  prevailing  therein.  They 
should  go  in  the  spirit  of  helpfulness,  not  criticism.  Inspection 
by  cordial,  intelligent  citizens  will  help  to  encourage  good  fea¬ 
tures  and  eliminate  evil  ones. 

The  laws  enacted  by  the  late  legislature  relating  to  the 
child  are  valuable  as  far  as  they  go,  but  their  scope  is  too  limited. 

While  the  delinquent  and  neglected  child  of  Chicago  will 
be  benefited  by  the  Juvenile  Court  and  Vacation  School  Bills, 
the  child  of  the  State  at  large  is  not  reached.  The  dependent 
child,  the  child  in  the  almshouse,  the  innocent ,  helpless  victim 
of  our  social  system,  is  suffered  by  the  humane  powers  that  be, 
to  develop  unrestrained  into  the  pauper  and  the  criminal,  and 
to  become  in  turn  the  progenitor  of  paupers  and  criminals. 

As  long  as  the  pauper  factories  remain  unchecked  by  legis¬ 
lative  enactment  that  much  longer  must  the  eradication  of 
pauperism  be  postponed.  As  all  thoughtful  people  know  the 
way  to  cure  pauperism  or  crime  is  to  prevent  it. 


The  reports  on  philanthropy  reform,  industry  and  education 
duplicate  and  overlap  each  other  to  some  extent,  but  the  repeti¬ 
tion  serves  to  emphasize  the  importance  of  the  work  done  and 
to  broaden- the  interest  therein. 

The  Committee  much  regret  that  so  small  a  number  of  the 
clubs,  only  fifteen  per  cent,  have  sent  in  reports,  hence  this 
summary  must  give  a  very  inadequate  idea  of  the  work  really 
done  in  the  State  by  the  women’s  clubs. 

Should  the  president  of  each  club  doing  philanthropy  and 
reform  work,  make  it  her  duty  to  see  that  a  report  of  work  done 
by  her  club  is  sent  to  the  chairman  of  the  Philanthropy  Com¬ 
mittee,  not  only  would  a  showing  be  made  in  the  next  annual 
year  book  of  which  the  State  of  Illinois  might  well  be  proud,  but 
keener  and  increased  interest  would  be  engendered,  and  clubs 
now  working  in  other  lines  would  be  stimulated  to  emulation. 

Limited  space  prevents  extended  review  of  work  accom¬ 
plished  and  reported,  hence  only  brief  mention  will  be  possible. 

The  Chicago  Clubs  always  active  in  all  branches  of  club 
work,  have  been  instrumental  in  bringing  many  philanthropic 
and  reformative  projects  to  successful  issue. 

The  Chicago  Woman’s  Club  has  had  under  its  supervision 
for  ten  years  the  school  of  Cook  County  Jail,  and  has  for  eight 
years  paid  the  salary  of  the  teachers,  but  the  County  Commis¬ 
sioners  at  last  recognizing  the  benefit  derived  thereby  voted  to 
sustain  it  from  the  public  funds  hereafter. 

The  department  committee  visits  the  school,  assists  the 
teachers,  supplies  books,  etc. ;  they  also  visit  the  other  County 
institutions  and  send  to  them  books  and  magazines. 

A  joint  committee  of  Reform  and  Philanthropy  has  taken 
up  probation  work  for  children  in  the  police  station,  paying  ten 
dollars  per  month  towards  salary  of  probation  officer  and  assists 
said  officer  in  visiting  the  homes  of  those  apprehended.  Other 
committees  are  doing  excellent  work  for  reform  in  laws  affecting 
women  and  children  and  for  the  School  Children’s  Association, 
Protective  Agency,  Vacation  Schools,  Glen  wood  School  and  the 
Model  Lodging  House  and  Work  Shop  Association. 

The  Philanthropy  department  has  seven  representatives 


1 7  — 


upon  the  Board  of  the  Protective  Agency  contributing  eight 
hundred  dollars  to  its  needs.  The  department  has  successfully 
accomplished  the  separation  of  boys  from  older  criminals  in  the 
Bridewell. 

Chicago  Catholic  Women’s  League  is  doing  fine  work  on 
many  lines.  It  supports  a  kindergarten,  kitchengarten,  nur¬ 
series,  sewing  school  and  a  night  school;  conducts  a  Penny 
Saving  Station  and  Mother’s  meetings;  provides  clothing  and 
provisions  for  the  destitute,  procures  employment  for  men  and 
women  and  loans  maternity  outfits.  A  physician  is  employed 
and  medicine  furnished  free  to  their  beneficiaries. 

The  Arche  Club  of  Chicago,  although  devoted  to  art  and 
kindred  subjects,  has  lately  added  a  philanthropy  department, 
which,  with  the  assistance  of  the  Young  Ladies  Auxiliary  of  the 
Club  has  contributed  over  three  hundred  dollars  to  the  Vacation 
School,  Model  Lodging  House  for  Women  and  Children,  and  to 
the  Jackson  Park  Sanitarium  for  Babies. 

Chicago  Women’s  Aid  report  a  workroom  opened  last  De¬ 
cember  where  an  average  of  twenty-seven  women  work  daily  at 
fifty  cents  per  diem,  whence  two  thousand  six  hundred  garments 
were  finished  for -theiMichael  Reese  Hospital  and  the  Home  for 
Jewish  Orphans. 

The  Aloha  Lend  a  Hand  Club  of  Chicago,  composed  of  self- 
supporting  women,  has  lent  a  hand  in  various  ways;  has  con¬ 
tributed  to  the  Army  and  Navy  League;  indorsed  and  aided  the 
Vacation  School  movement  and  relieved  a  number  of  cases  of 
destitution,  which  latter  were  personally  investigated  by  the 
Chairman  of  the  Philanthropy  Committee. 

Chicago  Section  of  Council  of  Jewish  Women  supports  a 
sswing  school  for  girls  and  gives  each  girl  a  fortnight’s  outing; 
contributed  to  the  finances  of  the  Seventh  Ward  Bureau  of 
Associated  Charities  and  workroom  connected  therewith. 

The  University  of  Chicago  Settlement  Woman’s  Club  has 
secured  an  appropriation  from  the  City  Council  for  $9,  500  for 
public  baths  for  the  settlement  neighborhood,  assisted  financially 
toward  playground,  supply  district  nurse  with  needful  articles 
for  the  sick,  and  send  clothing  to  the  boys  at  the  Allendale  Farm. 


8  — 


Woodlawn  Woman’s  Club  indorsed  and  secured  signatures 
of  voters  for  the  Bill  for  Dependent  and  Delinquent  Children; 
has  a  standing  committee  to  visit  all  public  institutions  and 
report  back  to  the  club;  gives  outings  to  mothers  and  children 
of  the  Settlement  and  aids  Vacation  School  fund. 

The  Chicago  South  Side  Club  does  charity  work  in  various 
lines  through  its  Reform  and  Philanthropy  Department.  A  work¬ 
room  is  carried  on  in  the  stock  yards  district  for  the  help  of 
needy  women  out  of  employment;  these  women,  one  hundred 
and  eighty-eight,  have  from  one  to  five  days  work  a  week  and 
are  paid  in  clothing  and  groceries,  etc. ;  thus  are  aided  over 
thousand  people.  A  friendly  visitor  is  sustained  who  visits  the 
homes,  looks  after  the  children,  sees  that  they  are  kept  in  school 
and  will  take  the  mothers  and  children  on  outings  to  the  parks; 
incredible  as  it  may  seem,  some  of  these  hapless  little  ones  have 
never  seen  a  tree  or  green  grass.  The  club  also  contributes  to 
the  Vacation  School,  Protective  Agency  and  Lodging-house 
funds. 

The  Every  Wednesday  Club,  Home  Club  Fortnightly  and 
Anna  B.  Holmes  Club,  all  of  Chicago,  have  given  financial  aid 
and  personal  service  to  the  Women’s  Protective  Agency,  Vaca¬ 
tion  and  Industrial  Schools,  Northwestern  University  Settlement 
and  to  the  needy.  The  clubs  of  the  smaller  cities  and  towns 
have  pursued  much  the  same  lines  of  work  according  to  their 
opportunities,  their  field  and  numbers  being  more  limited  than 
in  the  large  cities. 

The  Elgin  Woman’s  Club  has  concentrated  its  energies  upon 
the  care  and  support  of  the  Sherman  Hospital,  which  institu¬ 
tion  was  founded,  sustained  and  managed  by  the  women  of 
Elgin.  They  look  well  to  the  ways  of  the  household,  purchase 
all  supplies,  hire  all  help,  make  all  repairs  and  additions  to 
buildings,  conduct  a  training  school  for  nurses,  besides  superin¬ 
tending  the  cultivation  of  a  kitchen  garden. 

The  Lincoln  Woman’s  Club  undertakes  the  care  of  all  the 
poor  of  the  city  and  supports  an  industrial  school  for  girls. 

Peoria  Catholic  Woman’s  League  reports  much  work  in 
relief;  has  furnished  a  great  deal  of  clothing  and  the  services  of 


—  19- 


a  professional  nurse  to  the  poor,  procured  work  for  many,  and' 
has  undertaken  the  care  of  ten  children,  in  order  that  brothers 
and  sisters  may  be  kept  together  and  the  homes  intact. 

The  Springfield  Woman’s  Club,  with  a  membership  of  three 
hundred  and  seventy-five,  has  comfortably  clothed  for  school 
two  hundred  and  twenty-six  children,  has  taken  fifty  dollars’ 
worth  of  shares  in  the  Associated  Charities  of  Springfield,  and 
has  sent  petitions  to  members  and  senators  praying  the  passage 
of  the  Dependent  Children  and  Vacation  School  bills  and  the 
Bill  for  the  State  care  of  Epileptics.  Their  president  addressed 
many  clubs  in  surrounding  cities  in  the  interest  of  these  bills. 

The  La  Grange  Philanthropy  Class  helps  the  poor  by  sup¬ 
plying  provisions  and  employment.  The  class  has  furnished  bed 
and  sitting  rooms  in  the  Children’s  Home,  at  North  Harvey,  and 
provided  bedding,  clothing,  books,  toys,  etc.,  for  the  motherless 
little  ones  there. 

The  Every  Tuesday  Club  of  Lewiston  has  sent  a  crippled 
boy  to  the  hospital  for  treatment,  and  now  rejoices  in  his  recov¬ 
ery  and  ability  to  walk;  they  also  succor  other  unfortunates. 

The  Mattoon  Council  of  Women,  inspired  by  the  annual 
meeting  at  Jacksonville,  has  organized  and  sustains  a  sewing 
school  and  a  kitchen-garten  wherein  some  two  hundred  girls  are 
instructed.  The  club  contributes  to  the  welfare  of  the  Emer¬ 
gency  Hospital,  and  secured  the  enactment  of  a  curfew  law  in 
their  town. 

The  Woman’s  Club  of  Henry  has  also  petitioned  for  a  curfew 
ordinance,  and  has  placed  upon  school-room  walls  works  of  art. 

The  Woman’s  Club  of  Beardstown  has  done  practically  all 
the  charity  work  of  the  town,  devoting  one  hundred  and  seventy- 
seven  dollars  and  much  clothing  to  this  purpose.  They  also, 
with  the  co-operation  of  the  teachers,  keep  sixty-three  children 
in  school. 

The  Woman’s  Club  of  Hinsdale  provides  food,  clothing 
and  medicine  for  the  alleviation  of  distress,  secures  work  for 
the  unemployed,  and  has  sent  one  patient  to  the  Presbyterian 
Hospital. 

The  Woman’s  Club  of  Kankakee  has  been  exceedingly  active 


—  20 


in  charity  work,  has  furnished  bedding,  underwear,  fruits,  etc., 
to  the  Emergency  Hospital;  sent  magazines  and  illustrated 
papers  to  the  inmates  of  the  County  House,  and  provided  enter¬ 
tainment  for  them  by  noted  vocalists,  whose  sweet  music  upon 
the  lawn  did  much  to  break  the  monotony  of  their  uneventful 
lives;  a  scheme  worthy  of  imitation. 

The  club  also  tried  the  plan  of  selling  at  nominal  price 
worn  clothing,  but  it  was  more  of  a  success  morally  than  finan¬ 
cially.  The  Jail  Conmittee  of  the  same  club  distributes  reading 
matter  to  the  prisoners,  and  have  made  many  visits  to  the  poor, 
carrying  aid  and  encouragement. 

The  Princeton  Woman’s  Club  is  doing  a  noble  work  in  res¬ 
cuing  dependent  children  from  the  evil  influences  of  the  County 
House  and  placing  them  in  homes;  twenty-eight  were  thus  cared 
for  and  a  good  home  was  secured  for  an  epileptic  girl. 

Money,  meals  and  attendants  were  provided  for  the  aid  of 
the  sick  poor,  and  clothing  sent  to  the  Harvey  Home  and  to 
school  children  to  insure  their  attendance  at  school. 

The  club  also  supported  a  course  of  six  free  lectures  and 
furnishes  all  necessary  material  for  demonstrations  in  cookery 
by  Mrs.  Rohrer.  In  these  free  lectures  the  club  secured  the 
attendance  of  a  class  of  women  who  were  unable  to  pay  for  this 
instruction.  The  lectures  were  popular  and  largely  attended. 

Besides  the  clubs  named,  the  Round  Table  of  Quincy,  the 
Mendota  Woman’s  Club,  Woman’s  Club  of  Taylorville,  the 
Woman’s  Columbian  Club  of  Batavia,  the  Oliver  Wendell 
Holmes  Club  of  Galesburg,  the  Callere  and  E  Re  Nata  Clubs  of 
Streator  have  also  worked  in  philanthropic  lines,  having  sent 
children  to  the  kindergarten,  taken  memberships  in  local  associ¬ 
ated  charities  and  relieved  distress  in  many  ways,  but  lack  of 
space  prevents  further  particularization.  Many  of  the  clubs  are 
lately  devoting  time  to  lectures  and  study  of  philanthropic  prob¬ 
lems,  and  others  are  just  taking  up  the  practical  work  whence 
the  charitable  efforts  of  the  coming  year  promise  to  yield  a 
harvest  bountiful  and  rich. 

Could  there  be  instituted  in  Illinois  a  summer  school  of 
philanthropy  similar  to  the  one  conducted  with  such  success  in 


New  York  City,  the  training  received  therein  would  give  a  new 
impetus  to  philanthropic  work  in  the  State.  There  the  earnest 
student  is  trained  what  to  do  and  how  to  do.  Daily  lectures 
are  given  by  experts  in  their  lines,  and  charitable  and  correc¬ 
tional  institutions  methodically  visited.  We  are  coming  to 
realize  that  special  training  is  as  necessary  for  the  successful 
prosecution  of  charity  work  as  it  is  for  other  missionary  efforts. 

The  women’s  clubs,  earnestly  and  systematically  striving 
for  the  amelioration  of  the  hard  conditions  of  the  poor,  and  at 
the  same  time  sternly  discouraging  that  charity  that  tends  to 
pauperize,  will  one  day  make  the  State  of  Illinois  renowned  for 
its  beneficent  and  wisely  directed  charities. 

Respectfully  submitted. 

Mrs.  J.  C.  Barlow,  Chairman. 


REPORT  OF 


Sub-Committee  on  Legislation. 


The  Sub-Committee  on  Legislation  of  the  Illinois  Federa¬ 
tion  of  Women’s  Clubs  takes  pleasure  in  reporting  that  the  last 
session  of  the  State  Legislature  was  one  of  the  most  important 
ever  held,  as  far  as  legislation  in  the  interest  of  children  was 
concerned;  and  the  committee  has  good  reason  to  believe  that 
the  efforts  of  the  women’s  clubs  were  very  effective  in  influenc¬ 
ing  this  legislation. 

Many  clubs,  and  also  many  club  members  individually, 
addressed  their  representatives  at  Springfield  in  favor  of  the 
measures  recommended  by  the  committee. 

The  committee  suggested  in  the  year-book  of  1898-99  cer¬ 
tain  measures  which  it  deemed  essential  to  carrying  out  the 
spirit  of  the  resolution  under  which  it  was  appointed.  The  first 
was  adequate  State  care  for  feeble-minded  and  epileptic  child¬ 
ren.  As  to  this  it  would  report  that  $200,000  was  appropri¬ 
ated  by  the  legislature  for  the  enlargement  of  the  school  at  Lin¬ 
coln.  The  new  buildings  are  now  in  process  of  construction.  An 
appropriation  of  $2,500  was  made  to  secure  an  option  upon  a 
site  for  an  epileptic  colony,  and  to  prepare  plans  for  buildings. 

The  second  suggestion  was  prohibition  of  the  presence  of 
normal  children  between  the  ages  of  two  and  sixteen  years  in 
any  poor-house.  A  provision  to  this  effect  was  inserted  in  the 
dependent  and  delinquent  children’s  bill  mentioned  below;  but 
the  committee  is  obliged  to  state  that  it  was  lost  in  the  legisla- 


—  22  — 


23  — 


ture.  It  is  true  that  the  general  provisions  of  this  bill  as  passed 
will  much  reduce  the  number  of  children  in  poor-houses,  but  a 
law  absolutely  forbidding  the  presence  of  children  in  poor- 
houses,  and  making  adequate  provision  for  their  care  outside  is 
still  needed. 

The  third  measure  in  the  committee’s  statement  was  the 
establishment  of  truant  or  parental  schools.  The  committee 
reports  with  much  satisfaction  that  a  bill  was  passed,  substan¬ 
tially  as  drafted  under  the  supervision  of  the  educational  com¬ 
mittee  appointed  by  the  women’s  clubs  of  Cook  county.  The 
law  provides  that  cities  with  a  population  of  100,000  or  more 
must  establish  within  two  years  parental  or  truant  schools;  and 
that  cities  w’ith  a  population  between  100,000  and  25,000  may 
establish  such  schools  at  any  time.  Children  can  be  sent  to 
these  schools  only  for  truancy,  absenteeism,  or  disorderly 
behavior  at  school,  and  the  truant  schools  are  made  part  of  the 
public  school  system.  No  child  who  has  ever  been  convicted  of 
any  penal  offence  can  be  sent  to  a  truant  school.  Thus  the 
taint  of  criminality  cannot  attach  to  children  sent  to  these  institu¬ 
tions.  Children  are  committed  on  indeterminate  sentence,  not 
to  exceed  the  limit  of  compulsory  school  age  (14  years),  but  they 
can  be  released  upon  parole,  or  absolutely,  when  their  behavior 
satisfies  the  school  authorities  that  release  is  wise. 

When  truant  schools  are  thoroughly  established,  we  may 
anticipate  that  the  compulsory  school  law  will  become,  for  the 
first  time,  really  operative. 

The  fourth  and  fifth  measures  mentioned  by  the  committee 
were  the  confiding  of  the  disposition  of  all  dependent  children 
to  the  county  judges,  and  State  supervision  of  all  children  who 
are  deprived  of  proper  parental  care.  In  the  judgment  of  the 
committee  the  “bill  to  regulate  the  treatment  and  control  of 
dependent,  neglected  and  delinquent  children”  was  a  notable 
forward  step;  and  all  the  aid  possible  was  given  it  by  the  com¬ 
mittee  on  its  passage. 

The  law  gives  county  and  circuit  judges  jurisdiction  in  all 
children’s  cases,  thereby  permitting  their  removal  from  the 
police  court,  with  its  fines  and  short  sentences.  A  judge  may 


—  24  — 


now  dispose  of  the  children  either  by  commitment  to  industrial 
schools  or  by  entrusting  them  to  a  reputable  individual  or  to  a 
society  for  placing  out  children,  or  in  any  manner  within  the 
statutes  which  appears  to  the  judge  to  be  for  the  best  interest  of 
the  child.  In  counties  having  a  population  of  500,000  or  more 
a  special  juvenile  court  is  provided  for,  presided  overby  a  judge 
of  the  circuit  court.  This  court  has  been  in  operation- in  Cook 
county  since  July  1st.  A  child  under  12  years  of  age  cannot  be 
committed  to  a  jail  or  police  station,  and  no  child  can  be  kept 
in  any  penal  institution  in  the  same  building  or  enclosure  with 
adult  convicts.  A  system  of  volunteer  probation  officers  is  pro¬ 
vided  for.  Their  value  and  efficiency  in  supervising  children 
whom  the  court  finds  not  guilty  of  serious  offenses,  but  rather 
lacking  proper  parental  care,  or  tempted  by  idleness,  bad  com¬ 
pany  and  neglect,  has  been  demonstrated  already  in  the  short 
time  in  which  the  law  has  been  in  operation  in  Chicago.  A 
judge  can  order  the  discharge  of  children  from  all  institutions  or 
prisons  to  which  he  may  commit  them.  All  societies  which 
find  homes  for  children  must  report  to  the  State  Board  of 
Charities,  and  only  societies  duly  accredited  by  the  State  Board 
can  receive  children  from  the  courts. 

The  spirit  of  all  the  provisions  of  this  law  is  expressed  in 
the  last  section  which  states: 

This  act  shall  be  liberally  construed  to  the  end  that  its  pur¬ 
pose  may  be  carried  out,  to- wit:  That  the  care,  custody  and 
discipline  of  a  child  shall  approximate  as  nearly  as  may  be  that 
which  should  be  given  by  its  parents;  and  in  all  cases  where  it 
can  be  properly  done  the  child  may  be  placed  in  an  approved 
family  home,  and  become  a  member  of  the  family  by  adoption 
or  otherwise. 

This  law  falls  short  of  affording  complete  care  for  the 
classes  of  children  enumerated  in  its  title.  Especially  does  it 
lack  a  provision  for  boarding  out  children  at  public  expense,  and 
for  the  prohibition  of  their  presence  in  poor-houses.  In  order 
to  make  the  system  of  probation  and  parole  thoroughly  effective 
there  should  be  paid  officers  for  this  work.  The  law  fails'  to 
provide  for  such  payment. 


—  25  — 


Whatever  the  deficiencies  of  the  statute,  however,  its  posi¬ 
tive  merit  is  very  great,  and  its  adoption  marks  a  turning  point  in 
Illinois’  care  for  her  children.  We  can  only  feel  encouraged  to 
work  further  in  the  same  direction. 

Respectfully  submitted, 

Lucy  L.  Flower,  Chairman. 


REPORT  OF  THE 


Committee  on  Literature. 


In  the  passing  away  of  our  beloved  and  efficient  chairman, 
Mrs.  Anna  Parker,  of  Quincy,  the  Committee  on  Literature  feel 
that  we  have  sustained  an  irreparable  loss;  and  in  attempting  to 
take  up  her  late  work,  we  not  only  realize  our  own  inadequacy 
and  incompetency,  but  approaching  reverently,  feel  that  we  must 
“tread  softly.” 

For  the  benefit  of  every  club  member  we  call  attention  to 
the  fact  that  Mrs.  Parker’s  careful  and  systematic  methods 
alone  rendered  it  possible,  at  the  last  hour,  for  others  to  carry 
on  in  any  degree,  the  work  she  had  so  well  in  hand.  Mrs.  Par¬ 
ker  had  evidently  attempted  to  reach  every  Literary  Club  in  the 
Federation  with  words  of  encouragement,  suggestion  or  inquiry, 
and  chiefly  upon  the  replies  of  some  eighty  clubs,  as  well  as 
upon  their  enclosed  programmes,  this  brief  report  is  based. 

With  the  annual  announcement  of  the  Federation  as  a 
medium,  the  committee  sounded  a  note  of  warning  against  dis¬ 
connected  and  miscellaneous  lines  of  study  and  thought  so  often 
adopted  by  women’s  clubs;  and  the  specialization  of  work  was 
strongly  urged.  Attention  was  also  called  to  the  fact  that  in 
this  materialistic  age  there  is  danger  lest  the  realms  of  the  ideal 
be  too  greatly  overshadowed  by  the  purely  practical,  and  the 
study  of  poetic  literature  as  a  corrective  influence  was  suggested. 
Home  reading  and  book  buying  were  encouraged,  and  believing 
that  “books,  like  friends,  should  be  few  and  well  chosen”  every 

—  26  — 


—  27  — 


club  woman  was  urged  to  use  her  influence  to  counteract  “the 
wide-spread  tendency  to  indiscriminate  and  inordinate  reading, 
resulting  from  the  cheapness  of  books”. 

That  these  suggestions  have  been  kindly  received  and  have 
in  many  cases  already  borne  fruit,  cannot  from  the  evidence  on 
hand  be  questioned.  The  younger  clubs  especially  seem  to 
have  improved  in  their  methods  of  work.  Many  of  them  testify 
that  they  begin  to  realize  that  concentration  of  forces  is  one  of 
the  most  important  factors  of  progress,  and  signify  their  inten¬ 
tion  to  secure  to  a  greater  degree,  unity  and  continuity  of 
thought  in  the  work  of  the  coming  year.  Although  the  improve¬ 
ment  over  past  years  is  marked,  there  is  still  great  need  for  fur¬ 
ther  efforts  along  this  line.  We  wish  to  draw  the  notice  of  these 
clubs  to  the  programmes  of  the  organizations  of  long  standing, 
whose  years  of  labor  and  experience  have  in  many  cases, 
enabled  them  to  produce  results  almost  ideal  in  purpose  and 
execution. 

Literature,  Art,  History,  Science,  Education  and  Religion 
are  so  closely  related  as  ofttimes  to  be  difficult  of  division;  and 
many  clubs  classified  as  Literary,  naturally  touch  upon  all  these 
branches. 

Among  the  purely  literary  clubs,  Shakespeare  #and  the 
Drama  have  received  marked  attention.  One  circle  which  cer¬ 
tainly  believes  in  specialization,  having  devoted  its  nine  years  of 
existence  to  dramatic  study,  writes  that  the  past  year  has  been 
given  to  the  study  of  “Macbeth”  alone,  and  enthusiastically  adds 
that  the  club  expects  to  continue  their  study  for  years  to  come. 

A  delightful  feature  of  many  of  the  dramatic  clubs  is  the 
presentation  of  plays,  as  a  pastime  and  entertainment  for  out¬ 
side  guests.  Much  latent  talent  in  this  line  seems  to  have  been 
discovered  and  is  worthy  of  cultivation. 

The  poetical  and  classical  works  of  the  great  writers  of 
every  age  and  country  are  being  studied  to  a  marked  degree. 
This  is  usually  in  connection  with  the  country  and  times  which 
they  represent,  or  the  literary  class  or  epochs  to  which  they 
belong. 

Works  of  fiction,  too,  receive  their  meed  of  attention, 


—  28  — 

although  in  many  clubs  they  come  in  principally  for  discussion 
during  the  time  allotted  for  “Book  Reviews.”  They  sometimes 
too  seem  to  be  thrown  in  as  a  sort  of  respite  from  heavier  work. 
One  club  writes  that  “the  history  which  to  some  seemed  a  bit¬ 
ter  pill  to  be  swallowed  only  because  prescribed,  was  heavily 
sugar-coated  with  romance,”  the  works  chosen  being,  however, 
many  of  them,  English  classics,  and  others  the  best  literature 
of  the  present  day. 

The  Tourists  and  Travellers  continue  to  enjoy  delightful 
mental  visits  “Here,  There  and  Everywhere,”  through  our  own 
and  foreign  countries;  and  feel  that  they  are  gaining  a  broad 
and  comprehensive  view,  not  only  of  places,  but  of  the  people, 
ages  and  events  which  have  made  them  famous.  Literary  and 
historical  Italy,  France,  Spain,  Switzerland,  Holland  and  Ger¬ 
many,  next  to  England,  receive  more  attention,  perhaps,  than 
all  the  other  countries  combined;  but  the  eyes  and  thoughts  of 
several  clubs  are  directed  now  towards  South  America,  China, 
Japan  and  the  Islands  of  the  seas.  A  few  circles  are  making  a 
thorough  and  exhaustive  study  of  Russia  and  deserve  much 
credit  for  their  systematic,  critical  and  analytical  work.  One 
club  enjoys  the  distinction  of  being  the  exclusive  explorers  of 
Ireland  from  a  historical  and  literary  standpoint  and  report  great 
enthusiasm  and  profit  in  their  pursuit. 

Not  only  America,  the  United  States  and  its  possessions, 
but  the  State  of  Illinois,  receive  the  attention  of  several  loyal 
clubs.  They  seem  to  find  in  our  local  history  legends  and  liter¬ 
ature,  interesting  and  profitable  material  for  a  year  or  more  of 
investigation. 

It  may  not  be  amiss  here  to  again  claim  attention  of  all 
literary  workers  to  the  value  and  importance  of  the  study  and 
preservation  of  local  tradition,  citing  as  an  example  of  what  may 
be  done  in  this  line,  the  volume  of  “Recollections  of  the  Pio¬ 
neers  of  Lee  County”  compiled  sometime  since  by  the  club 
women  of  that  section. 

Among  the  study  classes,  Sociology,  Household  Science, 
Anthropology  and  Psychology  are  being  more  or  less  investi¬ 
gated;  while  the  different  Philosophies  and  “Ten  Great  Relig- 


—  29  — 


ions  of  the  World”  are  calling  forth  elaborate  and  painstaking 
research. 

Many  clubs,  feeling  their  need  of  wider  knowledge  in  con¬ 
ducting  their  routine  business,  include  the  study  of  Parliamen¬ 
tary  Law  in  connection  with  their  regular  literary  work,  and  con¬ 
sider  the  time  so  given  well  spent. 

The  methods  and  outlines  of  study  are  almost  as  varied  as 
are  the  needs  and  environments  of  the  clubs  themselves,  and 
can  necessarily  be  governed  by  no  fixed  rule.  In  minor  matters 
each  club  is  a  law  unto  itself  and  has  to  adapt  its  conduct  to  the 
calibre  and  personnel  of  its  members.  The  written  paper  or 
essay  is  still  a  debatable  question.  Some  clubs  seem  to  think 
that  its  use  is  a  decided  “incubus  to  original  and  spontaneous 
work,  and  are  attempting  to  replace  it  entirely  by  lectures  and 
subsequent  discussions  on  the  topic  or  topics  of  the  day.  That 
it  is  much  easier  to  read  a  well  written  paper  on  a  topic  than  to 
give  the  same  thoughts  without  the  manuscript  cannot  be 
denied;  but  that  carelessness  of  thought  and  diction,  and  often 
lack  of  continuity  mark  the  absence  of  a  paper  is  equally  true; 
and  believing  with  Bacon  that  “reading  maketh  a  full  man.  con¬ 
ference  a  ready  man,  and  writing  an  exact  man”  we  believe  that 
the  best  results  are  obtained  from  a  happy  medium  combining 
both  systems. 

Very  many  clubs  are  to  be  warmly  congratulated  upon  the 
•opportunities  they  have  enjoyed  in  their  lecture  courses. 
Where  outside  talent  can  be  employed  without  infringing  upon 
the  original  and  individual  work  of  the  members,  its  adoption 
as  a  stimulant  and  aid  is  approved.  It  is  worthy  of  note  that  a 
large  proportion  of  talent  employed  by  clubs  as  lecturers,  read¬ 
ers  or  professional  class  leaders  is  found  among  the  ranks  of  our 
own  clubs,  and  consists  of  some  of  the  best  equipped  workers  in 
the  field.  One  club  has  been  enjoying  a  course  of  Bible  lec¬ 
tures  given  by  a  gifted  scholar,  “treating  of  the  Bible  as  litera¬ 
ture  and  the  times  that  created  it.” 

But  whatever  the  outline  of  the  work,  the  discussion  of 
current  events  as  a  feature  of  the  programme  is  becoming  more 


—  30  — 


and  more  established  and  promises  by  its  deserving  popularity 
to  become  practically  a  permanent  institution. 

A  few  clubs  who  are  recently  organized  have  as  yet  no 
fixed  or  regular  programmes,  but  are  doing  miscellaneous  and 
somewhat  scattering  work.  We  hope  that  this  coming  year 
will  see  them  able  to  follow  clearer  and  more  systematic  courses; 
for  it  seems  to  be  the  unanimous  opinion  that  it  is  better  to  do 
a  few  things  thoroughly  than  many  things  superficially.  But 
whatever  the  methods  or  outline  of  work,  the  majority  of  clubs 
feel  that  the  past  year  has  been  one  of  great  intellectual  awak¬ 
ening  and  mental  growth,  and  are  encouraged  to  believe  that 
the  future  has  still  better  things  in  store.  Many  of  them  also 
feel  that  the  usefulness  of  the  literary  club  is  only  limited  by  its 
numbers;  but  this  question  of  limited  or  unlimited  membership, 
like  the  existence  and  length  of  the  essay,  can  only  be  settled 
by  the  individual  clubs.  However,  many  of  us  hope  to  see  the 
day  soon  come  when  the  door  of  some  friendly  club  will  stand 
invitingly  open  to  every  woman  who  feels  the  need  or  desire  of 
congenial  companionship  in  the  pursuit  of  intellectual  culture 
and  the  acquisition  of  the  highest  things. 

Clara  Gordon  Coulson,  Chairman. 


REPORT  OF  THE 


Sub-Committee  on  Libraries. 


In  presenting  this  second  annual  report  of  the  Committee 
on  Libraries  of  the  Illinois  Federation  of  Women’s  Clubs  I  wish 
first  to  make  my  grateful  acknowledgment  to  Club  Life  for 
without  the  material  gathered  from  the  interesting  pages  of  that 
valuable  periodical  this  report  would  have  been  lacking  some 
important  items. 

If  any  good  work  is  not  mentioned  herein  it  would  be  well 
for  the  clubs  so  neglected  to  remonstrate  with  their  secretaries 
and  do  better  next  year. 

During  the  year  this  committee  was  asked  by  the  Illinois 
Library  Association  to  aid  in  the  effort  to  pass  a  bill  through  the 
Legislature  for  the  appointing  of  a  Library  Commission  with  a 
necessary  appropriation.  Through  the  vice-presidents  appeals 
were  sent  to  the  clubs  asking  that  each  interest  the  local  legis¬ 
lators  in  the  bill.  Our  co-laborers  assure  us  that  we  aided  very 
materially  in  the  campaign  of  education.  The  bill  lacked  five 
votes  of  passing  the  Legislature  and  going  to  the  Governor. 
The  work  done  will  surely  count  in  the  next  Legislature. 

LOCAL  LIBRARIES. 

The  work  done  in  the  way  of  organizing  and  maintaining 
libraries  by  the  women’s  clubs  of  this  state  is  fine  and  is  con¬ 
stantly  increasing. 

The  Austin  Woman’s  Club  organized  a  library  two  years 

—  31  — 


32  — 


ago  that  has  now  about  seven  hundred  volumes,  including  refer¬ 
ence  books,  bound  magazines  and  reports,  with  two  hundred 
and  forty-two  volumes  in  the  circulating  department;  they  aver¬ 
age  one  hundred  and  fifty  in  annual  circulation,  much  of  it 
among  the  young  people.  They  have  a  paid  librarian. 

The  Bement  Woman’s  Club  is  reviving  a  town  library  that 
has  been  stored  away  for  several  years.  There  are  now  one 
thousand  volumes. 

At  Charleston  the  women  have  organized  a  library. 

The  DeKalb  Woman’s  Club  has  a  standing  committee  on 
libraries  which  co-operates  with  the  library  board  and  last  win¬ 
ter  collected  gift  books.  The  club  gave  books  costing  seventy- 
five  dollars  to  the  library. 

In  Effingham  there  is  a  “Ladies’  Library”  supported  by  the 
membership  of  the  Emerson  Club  members  and  others.  The 
club  year  book  contains  a  list  of  books,  for  topical  reading,  that 
are  in  the  library. 

The  Greenville  clubs  have  been  started  in  consequence  of  a 
fifty-year-old  library  in  the  town.  It  is  kept  in  the  court  house 
and  the  ladies  serve  as  librarians. 

The  Henry  Woman’s  Club  library  has  five  hundred  volumes 
and  the  patronage  has  increased. 

The  Hinsdale  Woman’s  Club  donates  money  each  year  for 
books  for  the  schools. 

The  Hudson  Home  Club  has  resurrected  an  old  time 
library  of  fifty  volumes,  added  it  to  the  reading  room,  which 
is  an  important  part  of  their  work,  and  are  now  adding  more 
books.  They  hope  to  make  it  a  township  library.  Over  three 
hundred  have  visited  the  reading  rooms  in  three  months  in  a 
town  of  less  than  three  hundred  people.  They  will  send  last 
year’s  magazines  to  the  schools. 

The  Lacon  Woman’s  Literary  Club  has  a  library  of  about 
seven  hundred  volumes,  which  it  helps  maintain. 

The  Lake  Forest  Coterie  has  a  Committee  on  Libraries. 
As  a  result  of  their  efforts  they  have  now  a  library  of  one  thous¬ 
and  volumes,  catalogued  and  in  charge  of  a  librarian  and  located 
in  the  City  Hall  building. 


—  33 


The  Mt.  Vernon  Woman’s  Club  has  a  small  free  library. 
They  would  like  to  receive  contributions. 

The  Mt.  Pulaski  Woman’s  Literary  Club  supports  a  public 
library. 

The  Paris  Woman’s  Club  with  one  hundred  and  fourteen 
members  organized  a  public  library  in  December,  1897,  and 
have  now  eight  hundred  volumes  in  their  club  room.  Four  club 
members  serve  as  librarians.  The  janitor  work  is  done  by  the 
pupils  in  the  sewing  school,  also  in  charge  of  the  club.  With 
thirty-three  subscribers  they  average  one  hundred  and  fifty  books 
in  a  month.  It  is  open  two  days  in  the  week  and  is  used  largely 
by  young  people,  who  read  the  books  aloud  to  their  parents. 

The  Princeton  Woman’s  Club  continues  to  add  books  to 
the  Woman’s  Club  section  of  the.  public  library. 

The  River  Forest  Woman’s  Club  is  working  up  an  interest 
in  a  library,  and  is  raising  money  to  build  on  a  lot  donated  for 
that  purpose.  A  two-mill  library  tax  has  been  voted  through 
their  influence. 

The  Streator  clubs  continue  to  contribute  books  to  the 
school  libraries,  and  the  Savanna  Woman’s  Club  donated  the 
books  used  in  their  study  class  last  year,  to  the  public  library  as 
usual. 

The  Taylorville  Woman’s  Club  has  organized  to  establish  a 
library.  They  have  made  a  small  beginning  and  would  be  glad 
to  receive  donations. 

The  Lincoln  Woman’s  Club  has  made  a  donation  of  valu¬ 
able  reference  books  to  high  school  library.  Cost  of  same  one 
hundred  and  ten  dollars. 

The  Tuscola  Woman’s  Club  has  established  a  well  equipped 
city  library  with  about  one  thousand  volumes  monthly  circula¬ 
tion,  and  a  well  selected  reference  department.  By  arrange¬ 
ment  of  books  and  pictures,  it  calls  attention  to  special  historic 
days. 

Limited  space  forbids  mention  of 'libraries  not  closely  con¬ 
nected  with  women’s  clubs. 

The  small  libraries  can  be  very  materially  aided  by  dona¬ 
tions  from  larger  clubs  and  libraries.  If  these  would  send  from 


—  34 


one  to  ten  books  each  the  result  would  be  from  one  hundred  and 
fifty  to  fifteen  hundred  books  placed  on  shelves  where  they  are 
needed  and  not  more  than  twenty  to  two  hundred  books  be 
required  from  each  donor.  For  this  work  a  more  substantial 
class  of  books  might  be  used  than  for  the  average  traveling 
library. 

This  committee  could  arrange  details  for  transfers  to  avoid 
duplicating  donations.  We  have  already  a  call  for  books  bear¬ 
ing  on  the  history  of  Illinois  to  be  loaned  or  donated  to  a  club 
that  will  study  that  subject  this  winter  with  a  very  limited 
equipment. 


TRAVELING  LIBRARIES. 

The  traveling  library  enthusiasm  is  very  intense  in  spots, 
so  to  speak,  the  spots  being  Champaign,  Bureau  and  Kane 
counties,  in  which,  as  it  happens,  three  members  of  this  commit¬ 
tee  live,  who  have  given  them  individual  attention.  N.  B. — If 
we  double  the  committee  next  year  the  work  will  be  doubled. 

The  Chicago  clubs  to  which  we  look  for  material  were  slow 
in  responding  this  year,  bnt  we  have  assurance  of  generous  dona¬ 
tions  from  some  in  the  recently  annexed  district.  We  could 
use  ten  times  as  much  as  we  are  promised. 

The  Culture  Club  of  Chicago,  that  sent  a  library  to  Kane 
county  last  year,  sent  one  to  Champaign  county  this  year.  They 
have  formed  a  good  habit  that  is  worth  continuing. 

The  Millard  Avenue  Literary  Club  is  fortunate  in  having  an 
enthusiastic  chairman  of  the  Committee  on  Libraries.  They 
sent  a  choice  library  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  volumes  to  a 
small  town  two  miles  from  a  railroad.  This  was  provided  with 
g.  duplicate  typewritten  catalog  for  each  book. 

The  Nineteenth  Century  Club  of  Oak  Park  has  done  effective 
work.  They  have  sent  out  “Home  Libraries”,  all  juvenile 
books,  to  destitute  homes  in  Chicago  where  the  younger  mem¬ 
bers  visit  them  and  read  from  or  talk  about  the  books.  These 
will  be  exchanged. 

They  have  culled  and  classified  valuable  magazine  articles 
and  bound  them  in  manila  paper.  These  will  be  sent,  accord- 


in g  to  subject,  to  the  schools,  the  traveling  libraries,  or  to  small 
clubs  not  having  access  to  large  libraries.  Mounted  pictures 
will  accompany  them  when  possible. 

They  have  collected  three  traveling  libraries  in  neat  oak 
•cases  to  be  sent  out  this 'fall. 

The  North  End  Club  at  Edgewater,  sends  magazines,  etc., 
to  University  settlements. 

The  Elgin  Woman’s  Club  sent  a  box  of  books  to  a  library 
just  organized  in  Dakota.  They  have  also  donated  juvenile 
books  and  magazines  and  pictures  to  the  rural  schools  through 
the  county. 

Four  clubs  of  the  Quincy  Round  Table  have  sent  four 
juvenile  libraries  of  forty  volumes  each,  in  neat  book  cases,  to 
schools  a<{  a  distance  from  the  public  library.  These  will  be 
interchanged. 

The  Oswego  and  Newark  libraries  exchanged  two  hundred 
volumes  for  one  year. 

The  Princeton  Woman’s  Club  has  sent  four  libraries  of 
different  sizes,  one  containing  one  hundred  volumes,  to  county 
schools,  to  remain  permanently.  They  are  in  charge  of  the 
teacher  who  loans  them  in  the  district.  They  have  also  given 
three  libraries  of  books  and  magazines  to  individual  women  who 
are  supervising-  the  circulation. 

The  Champaign  Library  school  raised  fifty  dollars,  bought 
new  books  and  sent  to  a  rural  post  office.  They  received  and 
passed  on  the  Culture  Club  material  and  have  charge  of  a 
library  raised  by  the  Champaign  Social  Science  Club,  which  is 
in  a  country  store,  all  in  Champaign  county. 

The  Paxton  Home  Culture  Club  has  sent  out  eight  libraries 
to  Champaign  county  schools,  each  containing  twelve  books  and 
twenty-four  magazines,  suitable  for  young  people.  The  school 
directors  have  asked  for  these. 

The  Kane  County  Federation  of  Women's  Clubs  represents 
the  work  of  eight  clubs,  the  Hampshire  Wednesday  Club,  Bur¬ 
lington  Saturday  Club,  Elgin  Woman’s  Club,  Coffee  Club,  Perry 
Literary  Club,  St.  Charles  Tuesday  Club,  Geneva  Improvement 
Association  and  the  Batavia  Columbian  Club.  Only  two  of 


—  36  — 


these,  the  Elgin  Woman’s  Club  and  Batavia  Columbian  Club,, 
are  members  of  the  State  Federation. 

Last  year  we  reported  one  library  received  by  the  Hamp¬ 
shire  Wednesday  Club  from  the  Chicago  Culture  Club.  Since 
then  nine  more  libraries  have  been  placed  in  eight  districts,  one 
having  been  burned  and  replaced.  There  are  now  five  more 
ready  with  calls  for  twice  as  many.  Of  these  nine  libraries  in 
this  county,  five  are  placed  in  school  houses  and  four  in  country 
stores,  banks,  etc.  Those  placed  in  schools  are  taken  home,  in 
many  cases,  by  teachers  during  vacation  and  so  reach  two 
neighborhoods.  ^ 

One  club  that  was  organized  to  receive  a  library  has  since 
joined  the  county  federation. 

Of  the  nine  libraries  placed  this  year,  three  were  given  by 
the  Elgin  Woman’s  Club,  two  each  by  the  Batavia  and  Geneva, 
and  one  each  by  the  St.  Charles  and  Hampshire  Clubs. 

The  two  oldest  libraries  were  exchanged  by  the  clubs  in¬ 
charge  in  April,  and  so  were  the  first  traveling  libraries  in  the- 
state.  One  fact  that  seems  of  especial  importance  to  your  com¬ 
mittee  is  that  both  of  these  clubs  receiving  the  first  libraries  have 
passed  on  new  libraries  gathered  from  their  own  homes,  to  other 
districts. 

We  urge  January  and  July  as  the  best  months  for  “travel¬ 
ing”  as  that  divides  the  busy  and  the  leisure  times  on  the  farms 
into  equal  portions. 

Your  committee  has  prepared  a  set  of  suggestions  to  those 
collecting  books,  one  to  those  sending  them  out,  and  one  for 
librarians  and  borrowers,  to  be  pasted  into  each  book.  We 
shall  be  glad  to  send  these  as  called  for. 

The  Farmers’  Institutes  are  receiving  from  their  central 
office  sets  of  fifty  books,  many  of  them  in  line  with  the  work  of 
State  Association  and  Domestic  Science.  They  ask  us  to  co¬ 
operate  by  telling  about  them  and  by  arousing  an  interest  in 
the  books. 

Prof.  Alfred  Bayless,  State  Superintendent  of  Public  In¬ 
struction,  will  send  libraries  to  schools  from  books  in  his  office. 

We  are  often  met  with  the  idea  that  this  work  is  unnecessary. 


—  37 


One  member  of  this  committee  spoke  before  a  Farmer’s  Insti¬ 
tute  and  held  this  conversation  afterwards  with  a  lady  who  was 
in  the  audience  and  who  said:  “I  do  not  want  to  discourage 
you,  but  this  work  is  not  needed.  Farmers  buy  books  if  they 
want  them.”  “  Where  do  you  live  ?”  “Two  miles  from  J. ”  “Do 
you  use  the  large  library  there  ?  ”  “O,  yes.”  “How  about  the 

farmers’  wives  who  live  ten  miles  out  and  who  rarely  come  to 
town  ?”  “O,  I  never  thought  of  them.” 

Prof.  Bayless  reports  that  last  November  in  about  forty  per 
■cent,  of  seventy-five  counties  of  this  State  there  was  considerable 
activity  in  the  matter  of  school  libraries.  It  behooves  us  to  look 
after  the  twenty-five  dormant  counties  and  also  after  the  sixty 
per  cent,  of  the  schools  in  the  more  active  counties.  It  will 
require  many  years  of  vigorous  work  before  every  district  in  this 
State  is  supplied  with  a  library,  either  in  the  school  house  or 
local  store. 

The  following  extracts  from  letters  received  will  give  an 
idea  of  the  value.placed  upon  this  work  by  those  who  receive 
the  books. 

One  lady,  a  farmer’s  wife,  refined  and  educated  but  wearied 
with  over-work  and  small  means,  hesitated  about  taking  charge 
•of  the  books  but  is  now  very  enthusiastic.  She  enjoys  them 
herself  and  finds  her  neighbors  eager  for  them. 

A  minister  who  has  charge  of  one  library  writes:  “It  gives 
me  pleasure  to  assure  you  of  the  value  of  the  good  work  in 
which  you  are  engaged.  Taking  this  little  village,  two  miles 
•from  a  railroad,  as  a  typical  case,  I  am  able  to  say  that  the 
books  have  afforded  pleasure  to  many  who  have  eagerly  perused 
them.  The  people  are  intelligent  and  appreciate  good  litera¬ 
ture,  but  have  not  the  means  to  buy.  There  was  quite  a  demand 
for  the  books  the  day  they  came,  the  young  people  are  the 
principal  readers  at  present.  I  commend  the  judgment  of  the 
ladies  who  sent  so  varied  a  class  of  books,  so  that  all,  even  little 
tots,  have  something  suited  to  their  taste  and  age. 

“  Let  me  add  this  word  of  counsel,  that  you  be  exceedingly 
•careful  as  to  the  character  of  the  books  you  place  in  these 
libraries,  as  they  are  being  eagerly  devoured  by  the  class  chiefly 


—  38  - 


whose  minds  are  in  the  plastic  and  formative  stage  and  liable  to* 
be  strongly  influenced  by  the  sentiment  of  the  books  they 
peruse.’’ 

One  young  man  teaching  in  a  rural  school  writes:  “The 
books  in  the  book  case  arrived  safely  and  will  be  a  great  help  to 
me  in  my  work.  I  have  just  organized  a  class  of  the  young 
people  to  study  literature  and  when  I  tell  you  that  there  are  not 
probably  more  than  200  books  in  the  district,  outside  my  own 
library,  you  will  see  how  we  shall  value  those  you  sent.” 

One  woman  hugged  and  kissed  the  books  and  said:  “O,  I 
am  so  glad,  I  am  so  glad.” 

A  German  woman  said:  “Well,  them  was  one  goodi 
womans.” 

Mrs.  Sadie  Gray  Cox  expressed  the  matter  so  well  that  I 
will  close  with  her  words:  “We  want  soon  to  send  out  a 
traveling  library.  We  are  not  content  with  having  things  our¬ 
selves,  we  want  others  to  enjoy  books  as  well  as  we.  We  want 
the  club  idea  to  penetrate  to  the  country  where  lonely  farm 
women  live.  We  want  to  send  books  to  them.” 

Frances  LeBaron,  Chairman. 


REPORT  OF  THE 


Art  Committee. 


Twenty  clubs  out  of  one  hundred  and  ninety-nine  belonging 
to  the  Federation  sent  reports  to  the  Art  Committee.  Since  it 
is  unlikely  that  but  twenty  clubs  engage  in  art  study,  the  ensuing 
report  may  be  considered  incomplete. 

From  these  reports  the  following  encouraging  facts  are 
gleaned.  Principles  of  good  design  in  common  things  are 
receiving  attention  from  classes,  and  art  study  is  thus  becoming 
not  merely  a  matter  of  personal  culture  but  an  avenue  of  public 
benefit.  There  is  an  evident  movement  to  find  an  outlet  for 
art  study  in  the  improvement  of  homes,  schools  and  towns 
where  clubs  exist,  and  this  tendency  is  particularly  welcomed. 

Nearly  every  report  from  Chicago  clubs  shows  work  along 
this  line.  The  Public  School  Art  Society  has  accomplished 
much  in  school  room  decoration.  The  Art  and  Literature  depart¬ 
ment  of  the  Woman’s  Club,  in  addition  to  study,  expenditures 
for  purchase  of  pictures,  and  contributions  to  different  lines  of 
work,  has  adopted  the  beautification  of  Chicago  as  its  principal 
interest. 

The  North  End  Club  promises  a  fountain  or  some  other 
work  of  art  to  Chicago,  and  has  purchased  several  pictures. 

The  Arche  Club  has  been  active  in  promoting  the  art  inter¬ 
ests  of  the  city  and  devoted  three  hundred  dollars  to  the  pur¬ 
chase  of  pictures  by  American  artists. 

The  Lake  View  Club  has  collected  and  mounted  one  thous- 

i 


—  39  — 


—  40  — 


and  six  hundred  pictures  for  public  school  use.  This  furnishes  „ 
a  valuable  suggestion  to  clubs  in  smaller  towns  where  there  is 
no  art  gallery. 

To  sum  up,  work  has  been  active  along  the  lines  of  school 
room  decoration,  the  purchase  of  pictures,  and  civic  improve¬ 
ments,  while  study  classes  show  increased  attention  to  principles 
of  design. 

The  art  program  of  last  year’s  meeting  was  devoted  to  the 
consideration  of  this  subject,  and  the  response  was  so  great  that 
a  second  meeting  was  necessary  to  accommodate  those  who 
could  not  find  room  at  the  first. 

There  seems  a  growing  appreciation  of  the  practical  im¬ 
portance  of  art,  and  the  power  of  the  united  clubs  to  improve 
public  education  and  morals  through  the  powerful  agency  of 
improved  environment. 

Respectfully  submitted  for  the  committee. 

Lucy  Fitch  Perkins,  Chairman. 


/ 


REPORT  OF  THE 


Committee  on  Music. 


As  the  chairman  of  this  committee  has  served  only  since 
May,  the  following  report  may  not  wholly  represent  the  work 
done  by  the  federated  clubs  of  Illinois,  but  it  embodies  the 
result  of  correspondence  with  vice-presidents  of  the  districts, 
members  of  the  committee  and  others. 

The  vice-presidents  of  three  districts,  the  1 8th,  21st  and 
22nd,  report  a  good  number  of  open  air  concerts,  organ  recitals 
in  churches,  choruses  of  children  and  adults,  this  work  however 
not  supported  by  woman’s  clubs,  but  by  business  men  and 
musical  societies.  Good  work  in  the  public  schools  is  often 
mentioned  in  the  reports,  although  only  two  clubs  report  any 
active  interest  in  this  matter.  These  reports  are  mentioned  as 
showing  the  general  interest  in  music  in  the  State,  and  the  fact 
that  clubs  may  be  alive  to  musical  work  going  on  about  them 
even  when  they  take  no  direct  part  in  it. 

Reports  from  clubs  at  Hull  House,  University  of  Chicago 
Settlement,  Northwestern  University  Settlement  (The  Colum¬ 
bian),  Chicago  Commons,  and  Neighborhood  House  show 
chorus  work  by  children  and  adults,  lectures  on  music,  Sunday 
afternoon  concerts,  study  of  musical  history  and  literature,  and 
in  the  case  of  Hull  House  a  music  school  conducted  under  the 
most  favorable  conditions  for  doing  thoroughly  good  work. 
Reports  from  Chicago  clubs  include  the  following: — 

An  excellent  example  of  the  result  obtained  by  the  agitation 


—  4i  — 


of  the  study  of  music  as  departmental  work  is  furnished  by  the 
success  of  the  Music  Study  Class  under  the  Art  and  Literature 
Department  of  the  Woman’s  Club.  This  “Class”  was  inaugur¬ 
ated  three  years  ago  as  an  experiment,  taking  as  its  subject 
“The  Evolution  of  Music.”  Immediate  interest  was  felt,  and  it 
now  attracts  a  very  fine  audience,  the  papers  and  illustrations 
during  the  past  year  having  been  given  mainly  by  non-members 
of  the  club,  as  a  rule  well-known  professionals  contributing  to 
the  programs.  Music  and  Musicians  of  the  1 8th  Century  was 
the  subject  of  study  for  the  past  year. 

This  department  of  the  Woman’s  Club  contributes  to  the 
support  of  musical  work  in  the  settlements,  and  plans  even  more 
extensive  work  outside  the  club  in  the  future. 

The  Evanston  Woman’s  Club  reports  a  course  of  six  lectures 
in  its  music  department,  nearly  or  quite  all  by  non-members. 

The  Chicago  South  Side  Club  has  a  Musical  Section,  which 
devoted  six  meetings  to  the  study  of  modern  composers. 

The  Woman’s  Club  of  Irving  Park  devoted  three  meetings  to 
the  study  of  music,  as  did  the  Anna  B.  Holmes  Woman’s  Club. 

The  Council  of  Jewish  Women  report  music  at  each  meeting. 

In  Quincy  the  clubs  devote  no  time  to  music  study,  but  a 
committee  is  appointed  from  four  federated  clubs,  under  whose 
supervision  organ  concerts  on  Sunday  afternoons  are  given  by 
the  musicians  of  the  city.  Eight  have  been  given  in  the  past 
two  years,  and  have  been  a  great  success,  as  Quincy  has  a  choral 
organization.  Band  concerts  are  given  and  music  is  taught 
in  the  public  schools;  this  is  the  only  public  work  along  musical 
lines  the  clubs  have  undertaken. 

The  Woman’s  Club  of  Cairo  report  bi-weekly  meetings 
devoted  to  the  study  of  music,  with  three  public  musicales  dur¬ 
ing  the  year. 

From  Dixon. — The  Phidian  Art  Club  reports  some  special 
attention  to  music  in  the  last  two  years,  in  one  of  which  the 
music-study  followed  the  lines  of  art  and  history  work  done  by 
the  club.  In  the  other,  one  meeting  was  devoted  to  concert 
program,  another  was  presented  by  the  Derthick  Music  Club  of 
Dixon. 


—  43  — 


The  Woman’s  Club,  of  Dixon,  reports  music  at  each  meet¬ 
ing  and  three  musicales.  The  music  section  of  the  Springfield 
Woman’s  Club  has  always  been  a  strong  one  and  the  program  for 
next  year  includes  studies  of  technique,  illustrated  lectures,  etc. 

The  clubs  of  Monticello,  Weldon,  Bement,  Champaign, 
Urbana,  Bloomington  and  Hudson  report  music  at  their  meet¬ 
ings,  the  Hudson  Club  devoting  one  program  of  the  year  to  music 
study.  Last  year  the  Bloomington  Club  arranged  a  course  of 
free  entertainments,  one  of  which  was  a  concert  given  by  the 
Amateur  Musical  Club.  In  addition  the  supervisor  of  music  in 
the  public  schools  addressed. the  club,  illustrating  her  talk  with 
the  work  of  a  class  of  children  from  one  of  the  schools. 

The  Savannah  Woman’s  Literary  Club  has  music  at  all  its 
meetings,  several  musical  programs  which  were  given  on  open 
days,  and  is  working  for  music  in  the  public  schools.  It  plans 
for  more  systematic  musical  work  in  the  future. 

The  Woman’s  Club,  of  Lincoln,  has  a  music  department 
which  has  studied  modern  French  composers  the  past  year, 
maintains  a  club  chorous  and  reports  growing  interest  in  music 
study. 

The  Pekin  Woman’s  Club  held  two  meetings  devoted  to  the 
discussion  of  music,  and  also  has  music  at  most  of  its  meetings. 

The  Council  of  Women,  of  Mattoon,  and  the  Woman’s 
Clubs,  of  Delavan  and  Princeton,  each  devoted  one  meeting  to 
music,  and  the  Woman’s  Clubs,  of  Beardstown  and  Kankakee, 
report  the  inauguration  of  music  departments. 

It  is  evident  that  the  formation  of  study  classes  and  music 
departments  in  connection  with  literary  clubs  is  growing,  and  if 
clubs  will  take  up  the  study  of  music  in  the  same  spirit  with 
which  they  have  studied  other  art  and  literature,  the  intelligent 
understanding  of  this  much-loved  and  little-understood  art  will 
be  greatly  increased.  This  work  comes  so  properly  under  the 
“Art”  of  the  Art  and  Literature  Department  that  it  seems  strange 
more  of  the  clubs  should  not  have  followed  this  line  of  work. 
Doubtless  the  fact  that  there  are  so  many  and  such  efficient 
musical  clubs  has  had  much  to  do  with  the  present  state  of 
affairs. 


44  — 


The  work  in  the  amateur  musical  clubs  soon  passes  from 
the  stage  of  mere  entertainment  and  pleasure  to  a  more  serious 
study,  because  a  deeper  significance  is  felt  as  knowledge  of  the 
art  increases.  It  is  a  matter  of  regret  that  the  musical  clubs 
of  the  State  do  not  join  the  Federation  that  they  might  help  to 
properly  correlate  music  with  the  other  methods  of  man’s  self- 
expression,  and  show  the  true  meaning,  value  and  dignity  of 
music  to  those  not  familiar  with  its  theory  and  practice.  The 
committee  suggests  that  members  of  federated  clubs  bring  this 
matter  before  the  music  clubs. 

The  study  of  music  should  have  a  place  on  a  club  program 
with  the  end  in  view  of  finding  out  its  educational  value,  so  that 
the  club  can  understandingly  and  sincerely  recommend  measures 
for  bringing  the  best  to  all  the  people.  When  music  is  a  part  of 
any  program  at  a  club  meeting,  the  committee  should  bear  in 
mind  the  character  of  the  program,  and  select  music  and  so 
place  it  as  to  make  an  artistic  whole.  There  are  programs  in 
which  music  seems  to  be  an  interruption,  or  it  is  improperly 
introduced.  Such  considerations  as  these  have  much  to  do' 
with  the  enjoyment  of  music  and  cultivation  of  musical  taste. 

The  committee  offers  the  following  suggestions,  which  are 
largely  a  repetition  of  last  year’s  report,  since  it  is  not  so  much 
the  need  of  new  ideas  but  to  urge  the  working  out  of  those  we 
already  have  that  is  felt. 

FIRST - FREE  CONCERTS. 

The  inauguration  and  support  of  Sunday  afternoon  con¬ 
certs  and  organ  recitals  in  churches,  the  encouragement  of  free 
band  concerts  in  parks  and  public  squares. 

SECOND - PUBLIC  SCHOOLS. 

That  club  women  take  an  active  interest  in  the  teaching  of 
music  in  the  schools,  and  that  they  see  that  good  instruments 
are  placed  in  the  school-rooms. 

THIRD  —CHORUS  WORK. 

That  the  work  of  Mr.  Tomlins  in  Chicago  and  of  Mr.  Dam- 
rosch  in  New  York  be  studied  with  a  view  to  its  educational  and 


—  45  — 


social  value,  and  that  chorus  work  for  adults  and  children  be 
•encouraged. 

FOURTH - MUSIC  BOOKS  IN  PUBLIC  LIBRARIES. 

That  clubs  should  include  in  their  libraries,  or  their  lists 
sent  to  public  libraries,  books  on  music  and  music  journals;  also 
that  if  standard  music  could  be  obtained  at  our  public  libraries, 
it  would  prove  a  well-spring  of  pleasure  to  a  deserving  class 
who  have  not  the  means  to  purchase  high  class  music. 

FIFTH - EXCHANGES. 

That  if  members  of  the  music  departments  of  the  larger 
•clubs  would  signify,  through  the  Reciprocity  Bureau,  their  will¬ 
ingness  to  read  papers  which  they  may  have  already  prepared, 
for  their  expenses,  many  of  the  village  clubs  would  be  glad  to 
obtain  their  services. 

Cora  Stanton  Brown,  Chairman. 


REPORT  OF 


Industrial  Committee. 


This  committee  was  created  at  the  last  annual  meeting  of 
the  Illinois  Federation  of  Women’s  Clubs,  and  each  affiliated 
club  was  urged,  in  the  fifth  annual  announcement,  to  appoint  a 
local  committee  to  co-operate  with  the  State  committee: 

First — In  ascertaining  each  in  its  own  locality  how  many 
children  of  compulsory  school  age  attend  school  throughout  the 
school  year,  and  how  the  time  is  spent  by  those  who  attend  only 
fourteen  weeks  or  less. 

Second — In  ascertaining  what  products  purchased  chiefly 
by  women  (food,  garments,  furniture,  books,  etc.),  are  manu¬ 
factured  in  its  locality,  and  whether  conditions  of  manufacture 
are  satisfactory  (i)  as  to  cleanliness  and  (2)  as  to  treatment  of 
employes. 

Third — In  interesting  the  members  of  the  legislature  in  the 
truant  school  bill  and  in  all  pending  state  legislation  involving 
the  interests  of  working  women  and  children.  In  promoting  the 
enactment  of  a  postal  savings  bank  bill  by  Congress. 

Fourth — In  creating  centers  for  the  employment  of  women, 
and  in  co-operating  with  the  Association  of  Young  Women’s 
Clubs  of  Chicago  for  this  purpose  through  its  center,  known  as 
The  Business  Women’s  Exchange  and  Home  Science  Bureau; 
and  in  investigating  employment  bureaus. 

Less  than  a  dozen  clubs — only  two  outside  Cook  county — 
responded.  From  many  other  clubs  the  chairman  of  this  com- 

-46- 


47  - 


mittee  has  received  reports  of  work  done  in  contributing  to  the 
support  of  lodging  houses,  industrial  and  jail  schools,  etc., 
showing  that  the  purpose  of  the  Industrial  Committee  has  not 
been  understood. 

Working  clubs  have  long  had  philanthropic  and  reform 
departments,  and  it  should  be  clear  that  the  Industrial  Com¬ 
mittee  was  not  created  to  divide  labor  already  undertaken,  but 
to  widen  the  sphere  of  club  activity  by  representing  the  mem¬ 
bership  in  some  new  field  of  labor.  It  is  hoped  that  in  the 
convention  of  the  Federation  now  near  at  hand  the  purposes 
and  need  of  industrial  committees  will  be  thoroughly  discussed, 
and  that  if  the  State  Committee  be  continued,  some  active  work 
can  be  done  with  the  co-operation  of  local  committees. 

Alzina  P.  Stevens,  Chairman. 


